1
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Abdul Vahid A, Oliyantakath Hassan MS, Sahayaraj AE, Babu AT, Kizhakkeduth ST, Vijayan V. Modulation of Primary and Secondary Processes in Tau Fibril Formation by Salt-Induced Dynamics. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1242-1253. [PMID: 38433380 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The initial stages of amyloid fibrilization begin with the monomers populating aggregation-prone conformers. Characterization of such aggregation-prone conformers is crucial in the study of neurodegenerative diseases. The current study characterizes the aggregation pathway of two tau protein constructs that have been recently demonstrated to form Alzheimer's (AD) fibril structures with divalent ions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) fibril structures with monovalent ions. The results highlight the involvement of identical residues in both the primary and secondary processes of both AD and CTE fibril propagation. Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation experiments reveal increased flexibility of the motifs 321KCGS within R3 and 364PGGGN within R4 in the presence of MgCl2/NaCl, correlating with faster aggregation kinetics and indicating efficient primary nucleation. Notably, the seeded aggregation kinetics of the tau monomers in the presence and absence of metal ions are strikingly different. This correlates with the overall sign of the 15N-ΔR2 profile specifying the dominant mechanism involved in the process of aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshad Abdul Vahid
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM) Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram695551,India
| | | | - Allwin Ebenezer Sahayaraj
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM) Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram695551,India
| | - Ann Teres Babu
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM) Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram695551,India
| | - Safwa T Kizhakkeduth
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM) Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram695551,India
| | - Vinesh Vijayan
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM) Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram695551,India
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2
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Gelenter MD, Yau WM, Anfinrud PA, Bax A. From Milliseconds to Minutes: Melittin Self-Assembly from Concerted Non-Equilibrium Pressure-Jump and Equilibrium Relaxation Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:1930-1935. [PMID: 38346015 PMCID: PMC10896212 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Non-equilibrium kinetics techniques like pressure-jump nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are powerful in tracking changes in oligomeric populations and are not limited by relaxation rates for the time scales of exchange that can be probed. However, these techniques are less sensitive to minor, transient populations than are Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) relaxation dispersion experiments. We integrated non-equilibrium pressure-jump and equilibrium CPMG relaxation dispersion data to fully map the kinetic landscape of melittin tetramerization. While monomeric peptides weakly form dimers (Kd,D/M ≈ 26 mM) whose population never exceeds 1.6% at 288 K, dimers associate tightly to form stable tetrameric species (Kd,T/D ≈ 740 nM). Exchange between the monomer and dimer, along with exchange between the dimer and tetramer, occurs on the millisecond time scale. The NMR approach developed herein can be readily applied to studying the folding and misfolding of a wide range of oligomeric assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin D Gelenter
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 5 Memorial Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Wai-Ming Yau
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 5 Memorial Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Philip A Anfinrud
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 5 Memorial Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 5 Memorial Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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3
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Houlleberghs M, Helsper S, Dom D, Dubroca T, Trociewitz B, Schurko RW, Radhakrishnan S, Breynaert E. Building a Cost-Efficient High-Pressure Cell for Online High-Field NMR and MRI Using Standard Static Probe Heads: An In Situ Demonstration on Clathrate Hydrate Formation. Anal Chem 2023; 95:16936-16942. [PMID: 37931115 PMCID: PMC10666082 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
High-pressure nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy finds remarkable applications in catalysis, protein biochemistry and biophysics, analytical chemistry, material science, energy, and environmental control but requires expensive probe heads and/or sample cells. This contribution describes the design, construction, and testing of a low-cost 5 mm NMR tube suitable for high-pressure NMR measurements of up to 30 MPa. The sample cell comprises a standard, 5 mm single-crystal sapphire tube that has been fitted to a section of a relatively inexpensive polyether ether ketone (PEEK) HPLC column. PEEK HPLC tubing and connectors enable integration with a gas rig or a standard HPLC pump located outside the stray field of the magnet. The cell is compatible with any 5 mm static NMR probe head, exhibits almost zero background in NMR experiments, and is compatible with any liquid, gas, temperature, or pressure range encountered in HPLC experimentation. A specifically designed transport case enables the safe handling of the pressurized tube outside the probe head. The performance of the setup was evaluated using in situ high-field NMR spectroscopy and MRI performed during the formation of bulk and nanoconfined clathrate hydrates occluding methane, ethane, and hydrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Houlleberghs
- NMR/X-Ray
Platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
- Centre
for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis: Characterization and Application
Team (COK-kat), Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Shannon Helsper
- Biomedical
MRI, Department of Imaging & Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven B-3000, Belgium
- National
High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Dirk Dom
- NMR/X-Ray
Platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
- Centre
for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis: Characterization and Application
Team (COK-kat), Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Thierry Dubroca
- National
High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Bianca Trociewitz
- National
High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
| | - Robert W. Schurko
- National
High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State
University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States
| | - Sambhu Radhakrishnan
- NMR/X-Ray
Platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
- Centre
for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis: Characterization and Application
Team (COK-kat), Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Eric Breynaert
- NMR/X-Ray
Platform for Convergence Research (NMRCoRe), KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
- Centre
for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis: Characterization and Application
Team (COK-kat), Leuven 3001, Belgium
- National
High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, United States
- Centre for
Molecular Water Science (CMWS), 22607 Hamburg, Germany
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4
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Chiliveri SC, Shen Y, Baber JL, Ying J, Sagar V, Wistow G, Anfinrud P, Bax A. Experimental NOE, Chemical Shift, and Proline Isomerization Data Provide Detailed Insights into Amelotin Oligomerization. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:18063-18074. [PMID: 37548612 PMCID: PMC10436275 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Amelotin is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) rich in Pro residues and is involved in hydroxyapatite mineralization. It rapidly oligomerizes under physiological conditions of pH and pressure but reverts to its monomeric IDP state at elevated pressure. We identified a 105-residue segment of the protein that becomes ordered upon oligomerization, and we used pressure-jump NMR spectroscopy to measure long-range NOE contacts that exist exclusively in the oligomeric NMR-invisible state. The kinetics of oligomerization and dissociation were probed at the residue-specific level, revealing that the oligomerization process is initiated in the C-terminal half of the segment. Using pressure-jump NMR, the degree of order in the oligomer at the sites of Pro residues was probed by monitoring changes in cis/trans equilibria relative to the IDP state after long-term equilibration under oligomerizing conditions. Whereas most Pro residues revert to trans in the oligomeric state, Pro-49 favors a cis configuration and three Pro residues retain an unchanged cis fraction, pointing to their local lack of order in the oligomeric state. NOE contacts and secondary 13C chemical shifts in the oligomeric state indicate the presence of an 11-residue α-helix, preceded by a small intramolecular antiparallel β-sheet, with slower formation of long-range intermolecular interactions to N-terminal residues. Although none of the models generated by AlphaFold2 for the amelotin monomer was consistent with experimental data, subunits of a hexamer generated by AlphaFold-Multimer satisfied intramolecular NOE and chemical shift data and may provide a starting point for developing atomic models for the oligomeric state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Chaitanya Chiliveri
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Yang Shen
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - James L. Baber
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Jinfa Ying
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Vatsala Sagar
- Section
on Molecular Structure and Function, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Graeme Wistow
- Section
on Molecular Structure and Function, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Philip Anfinrud
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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5
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Meng F, Kim JY, Gopich IV, Chung HS. Single-molecule FRET and molecular diffusion analysis characterize stable oligomers of amyloid-β 42 of extremely low population. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad253. [PMID: 37564361 PMCID: PMC10411938 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Soluble oligomers produced during protein aggregation have been thought to be toxic species causing various diseases. Characterization of these oligomers is difficult because oligomers are a heterogeneous mixture, which is not readily separable, and may appear transiently during aggregation. Single-molecule spectroscopy can provide valuable information by detecting individual oligomers, but there have been various problems in determining the size and concentration of oligomers. In this work, we develop and use a method that analyzes single-molecule fluorescence burst data of freely diffusing molecules in solution based on molecular diffusion theory and maximum likelihood method. We demonstrate that the photon count rate, diffusion time, population, and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency can be accurately determined from simulated data and the experimental data of a known oligomerization system, the tetramerization domain of p53. We used this method to characterize the oligomers of the 42-residue amyloid-β (Aβ42) peptide. Combining peptide incubation in a plate reader and single-molecule free-diffusion experiments allows for the detection of stable oligomers appearing at various stages of aggregation. We find that the average size of these oligomers is 70-mer and their overall population is very low, less than 1 nM, in the early and middle stages of aggregation of 1 µM Aβ42 peptide. Based on their average size and long diffusion time, we predict the oligomers have a highly elongated rod-like shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanjie Meng
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - Jae-Yeol Kim
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - Irina V Gopich
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - Hoi Sung Chung
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
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6
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Jeon J, Yau WM, Tycko R. Early events in amyloid-β self-assembly probed by time-resolved solid state NMR and light scattering. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2964. [PMID: 37221174 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38494-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-assembly of amyloid-β peptides leads to oligomers, protofibrils, and fibrils that are likely instigators of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. We report results of time-resolved solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) and light scattering experiments on 40-residue amyloid-β (Aβ40) that provide structural information for oligomers that form on time scales from 0.7 ms to 1.0 h after initiation of self-assembly by a rapid pH drop. Low-temperature ssNMR spectra of freeze-trapped intermediates indicate that β-strand conformations within and contacts between the two main hydrophobic segments of Aβ40 develop within 1 ms, while light scattering data imply a primarily monomeric state up to 5 ms. Intermolecular contacts involving residues 18 and 33 develop within 0.5 s, at which time Aβ40 is approximately octameric. These contacts argue against β-sheet organizations resembling those found previously in protofibrils and fibrils. Only minor changes in the Aβ40 conformational distribution are detected as larger assemblies develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaekyun Jeon
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland/National Institute of Standards and Technology, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Wai-Ming Yau
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
| | - Robert Tycko
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA.
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7
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Sun X, Dyson HJ, Wright PE. Role of conformational dynamics in pathogenic protein aggregation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 73:102280. [PMID: 36878172 PMCID: PMC10033434 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of pathogenic protein oligomers and aggregates is associated with several devastating amyloid diseases. As protein aggregation is a multi-step nucleation-dependent process beginning with unfolding or misfolding of the native state, it is important to understand how innate protein dynamics influence aggregation propensity. Kinetic intermediates composed of heterogeneous ensembles of oligomers are frequently formed on the aggregation pathway. Characterization of the structure and dynamics of these intermediates is critical to the understanding of amyloid diseases since oligomers appear to be the main cytotoxic agents. In this review, we highlight recent biophysical studies of the roles of protein dynamics in driving pathogenic protein aggregation, yielding new mechanistic insights that can be leveraged for design of aggregation inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Sun
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - H Jane Dyson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Peter E Wright
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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8
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Ghosh S, Ali R, Verma S. Aβ-oligomers: A potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 239:124231. [PMID: 36996958 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
The cascade of amyloid formation relates to multiple complex events at the molecular level. Previous research has established amyloid plaque deposition as the leading cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, detected mainly in aged population. The primary components of the plaques are two alloforms of amyloid-beta (Aβ), Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-40 peptides. Recent studies have provided considerable evidence contrary to the previous claim indicating that amyloid-beta oligomers (AβOs) as the main culprit responsible for AD-associated neurotoxicity and pathogenesis. In this review, we have discussed the primary features of AβOs, such as assembly formation, the kinetics of oligomer formation, interactions with various membranes/membrane receptors, the origin of toxicity, and oligomer-specific detection methods. Recently, the discovery of rationally designed antibodies has opened a gateway for using synthesized peptides as a grafting component in the complementarity determining region (CDR) of antibodies. Thus, the Aβ sequence motif or the complementary peptide sequence in the opposite strand of the β-sheet (extracted from the Protein Data Bank: PDB) helps design oligomer-specific inhibitors. The microscopic event responsible for oligomer formation can be targeted, and thus prevention of the overall macroscopic behaviour of the aggregation or the associated toxicity can be achieved. We have carefully reviewed the oligomer formation kinetics and associated parameters. Besides, we have depicted a thorough understanding of how the synthesized peptide inhibitors can impede the early aggregates (oligomers), mature fibrils, monomers, or a mixture of the species. The oligomer-specific inhibitors (peptides or peptide fragments) lack in-depth chemical kinetics and optimization control-based screening. In the present review, we have proposed a hypothesis for effectively screening oligomer-specific inhibitors using the chemical kinetics (determining the kinetic parameters) and optimization control strategy (cost-dependent analysis). Further, it may be possible to implement the structure-kinetic-activity-relationship (SKAR) strategy instead of structure-activity-relationship (SAR) to improve the inhibitor's activity. The controlled optimization of the kinetic parameters and dose usage will be beneficial for narrowing the search window for the inhibitors.
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9
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Gelenter M, Bax A. Recombinant Expression and Chemical Amidation of Isotopically Labeled Native Melittin. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:3850-3854. [PMID: 36753641 PMCID: PMC9951214 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c12631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Post-translational modifications are ubiquitous in the eukaryotic proteome. However, these modifications are rarely incorporated in NMR studies of eukaryotic proteins, which are typically produced through recombinant expression in E. coli. Melittin is the primary peptide in honey bee venom. Its native C-terminal amide significantly affects its equilibrium structure and dynamics in solution and is thus a prerequisite for studying its native structure and function. Here, we present a method for producing triply isotopically labeled (2H, 13C, and 15N) native melittin through recombinant expression followed by chemical amidation. We then show that structural models produced with AlphaFold-Multimer are in even better agreement with experimental residual dipolar couplings than the 2.0 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure for residues G3-K23.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin
D. Gelenter
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
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10
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Oliva R, Winter R. Harnessing Pressure-Axis Experiments to Explore Volume Fluctuations, Conformational Substates, and Solvation of Biomolecular Systems. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:12099-12115. [PMID: 36546666 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsic thermodynamic fluctuations within biomolecules are crucial for their function, and flexibility is one of the strategies that evolution has developed to adapt to extreme environments. In this regard, pressure perturbation is an important tool for mechanistically exploring the causes and effects of volume fluctuations in biomolecules and biomolecular assemblies, their role in biomolecular interactions and reactions, and how they are affected by the solvent properties. High hydrostatic pressure is also a key parameter in the context of deep-sea and subsurface biology and the study of the origin and physical limits of life. We discuss the role of pressure-axis experiments in revealing intrinsic structural fluctuations as well as high-energy conformational substates of proteins and other biomolecular systems that are important for their function and provide some illustrative examples. We show that the structural and dynamic information obtained from such pressure-axis studies improves our understanding of biomolecular function, disease, biological evolution, and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Oliva
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Physical Chemistry I, Biophysical Chemistry, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, Dortmund44227, Germany
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126Naples, Italy
| | - Roland Winter
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Physical Chemistry I, Biophysical Chemistry, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, Dortmund44227, Germany
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11
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Lenard AJ, Mulder FAA, Madl T. Solvent paramagnetic relaxation enhancement as a versatile method for studying structure and dynamics of biomolecular systems. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 132-133:113-139. [PMID: 36496256 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Solvent paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (sPRE) is a versatile nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based method that allows characterization of the structure and dynamics of biomolecular systems through providing quantitative experimental information on solvent accessibility of NMR-active nuclei. Addition of soluble paramagnetic probes to the solution of a biomolecule leads to paramagnetic relaxation enhancement in a concentration-dependent manner. Here we review recent progress in the sPRE-based characterization of structural and dynamic properties of biomolecules and their complexes, and aim to deliver a comprehensive illustration of a growing number of applications of the method to various biological systems. We discuss the physical principles of sPRE measurements and provide an overview of available co-solute paramagnetic probes. We then explore how sPRE, in combination with complementary biophysical techniques, can further advance biomolecular structure determination, identification of interaction surfaces within protein complexes, and probing of conformational changes and low-population transient states, as well as deliver insights into weak, nonspecific, and transient interactions between proteins and co-solutes. In addition, we present examples of how the incorporation of solvent paramagnetic probes can improve the sensitivity of NMR experiments and discuss the prospects of applying sPRE to NMR metabolomics, drug discovery, and the study of intrinsically disordered proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneta J Lenard
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signaling, Metabolism and Ageing, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Research Unit Integrative Structural Biology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Frans A A Mulder
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark; Institute of Biochemistry, Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, 4040 Linz, Austria.
| | - Tobias Madl
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signaling, Metabolism and Ageing, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Research Unit Integrative Structural Biology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria.
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12
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Hunashal Y, Percipalle M, Molnár T, Kardos J, Percipalle P, Esposito G. Approaching Protein Aggregation and Structural Dynamics by Equilibrium and Nonequilibrium Paramagnetic Perturbation. Anal Chem 2022; 94:10949-10958. [PMID: 35877130 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PENELOP (Paramagnetic Equilibrium vs Nonequilibrium magnetization Enhancement or LOss Perturbation) is the presented nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approach to identify at once the location of proteins' exposed surface, hindered accessibility, and exchange processes occurring on a μs-ms time scale. In addition to mapping the protein surface accessibility, the application of this method under specific conditions makes it possible to distinguish conformational mobility and chemical exchange processes, thereby providing an alternative to characterization by more demanding techniques (transverse relaxation dispersion, saturation transfer, and high-pressure NMR). Moreover, its high sensitivity enables studying samples at low, physiologically more relevant concentrations. Association, dynamics, and oligomerization are addressed by PENELOP for a component of SARS-CoV-2 replication transcription complex and an amyloidogenic protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamanappa Hunashal
- Chemistry Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates.,Dipartimento di Area Medica, Universita' di Udine, P.le Kolbe 4, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Mathias Percipalle
- Chemistry Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Chemistry and Magnetic Resonance Center, University of Florence, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Tamás Molnár
- ELTE NAP Neuroimmunology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Jòzsef Kardos
- ELTE NAP Neuroimmunology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Piergiorgio Percipalle
- Biology Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Molecular Bioscience, The Wenner Gren Institute Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Gennaro Esposito
- Chemistry Program, Science Division, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates.,INBB, Viale Medaglie d'Oro 305, Roma 00136, Italy
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13
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Duan P, Chen KJ, Wijegunawardena G, Dregni AJ, Wang HK, Wu H, Hong M. Binding Sites of a Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Agent in Alzheimer's β-Amyloid Fibrils Studied Using 19F Solid-State NMR. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:1416-1430. [PMID: 35015530 PMCID: PMC8855532 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c12056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid imaging by positron emission tomography (PET) is an important method for diagnosing neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Many 11C- and 18F-labeled PET tracers show varying binding capacities, specificities, and affinities for their target proteins. The structural basis of these variations is poorly understood. Here we employ 19F and 13C solid-state NMR to investigate the binding sites of a PET ligand, flutemetamol, to the 40-residue Alzheimer's β-amyloid peptide (Aβ40). Analytical high-performance liquid chromatography and 19F NMR spectra show that flutemetamol binds the current Aβ40 fibril polymorph with a stoichiometry of one ligand per four to five peptides. Half of the ligands are tightly bound while the other half are loosely bound. 13C and 15N chemical shifts indicate that this Aβ40 polymorph has an immobilized N-terminus, a non-β-sheet His14, and a non-β-sheet C-terminus. We measured the proximity of the ligand fluorine to peptide residues using 19F-13C and 19F-1H rotational-echo double-resonance (REDOR) experiments. The spectra show that three segments in the peptide, 12VHH14, 18VFF20, and 39VV40, lie the closest to the ligand. REDOR-constrained docking simulations indicate that these three segments form multiple binding sites, and the ligand orientations and positions at these sites are similar across different Aβ polymorphs. Comparison of the flutemetamol-interacting residues in Aβ40 with the small-molecule binding sites in other amyloid proteins suggest that conjugated aromatic compounds preferentially bind β-sheet surface grooves lined by aromatic, polar, and charged residues. These motifs may explain the specificity of different PET tracers to different amyloid proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Duan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Kelly J. Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Gayani Wijegunawardena
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount St, Wichita, KS 67260, United States
| | - Aurelio J. Dregni
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Harrison K. Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Haifan Wu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount St, Wichita, KS 67260, United States
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
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14
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Adams ZC, Olson EJ, Lopez-Silva TL, Lian Z, Kim AY, Holcomb M, Zimmermann J, Adhikary R, Dawson PE. Direct observation of peptide hydrogel self-assembly. Chem Sci 2022; 13:10020-10028. [PMID: 36128231 PMCID: PMC9430618 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc06562a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The characterization of self-assembling molecules presents significant experimental challenges, especially when associated with phase separation or precipitation. Transparent window infrared (IR) spectroscopy leverages site-specific probes that absorb in the “transparent window” region of the biomolecular IR spectrum. Carbon–deuterium (C–D) bonds are especially compelling transparent window probes since they are non-perturbative, can be readily introduced site selectively into peptides and proteins, and their stretch frequencies are sensitive to changes in the local molecular environment. Importantly, IR spectroscopy can be applied to a wide range of molecular samples regardless of solubility or physical state, making it an ideal technique for addressing the solubility challenges presented by self-assembling molecules. Here, we present the first continuous observation of transparent window probes following stopped-flow initiation. To demonstrate utility in a self-assembling system, we selected the MAX1 peptide hydrogel, a biocompatible material that has significant promise for use in drug delivery and medical applications. C–D labeled valine was synthetically introduced into five distinct positions of the twenty-residue MAX1 β-hairpin peptide. Consistent with current structural models, steady-state IR absorption frequencies and linewidths of C–D bonds at all labeled positions indicate that these side chains occupy a hydrophobic region of the hydrogel and that the motion of side chains located in the middle of the hairpin is more restricted than those located on the hairpin ends. Following a rapid change in ionic strength to initiate self-assembly, the peptide absorption spectra were monitored as function of time, allowing determination of site-specific time constants. We find that within the experimental resolution, MAX1 self-assembly occurs as a cooperative process. These studies suggest that stopped-flow transparent window FTIR can be extended to other time-resolved applications, such as protein folding and enzyme kinetics. To facilitate the characterization of phase-transitioning molecules, site-specific non-perturbative infrared probes are leveraged for continuous observation of the self-assembly of fibrils in a peptide hydrogel following stopped-flow initiation.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë C. Adams
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Erika J. Olson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Tania L. Lopez-Silva
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Zhengwen Lian
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Audrey Y. Kim
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Matthew Holcomb
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Ramkrishna Adhikary
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Philip E. Dawson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
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15
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Probing the Influence of Single-Site Mutations in the Central Cross-β Region of Amyloid β (1-40) Peptides. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11121848. [PMID: 34944492 PMCID: PMC8699037 DOI: 10.3390/biom11121848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid β (Aβ) is a peptide known to form amyloid fibrils in the brain of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. A complete mechanistic understanding how Aβ peptides form neurotoxic assemblies and how they kill neurons has not yet been achieved. Previous analysis of various Aβ40 mutants could reveal the significant importance of the hydrophobic contact between the residues Phe19 and Leu34 for cell toxicity. For some mutations at Phe19, toxicity was completely abolished. In the current study, we assessed if perturbations introduced by mutations in the direct proximity of the Phe19/Leu34 contact would have similar relevance for the fibrillation kinetics, structure, dynamics and toxicity of the Aβ assemblies. To this end, we rationally modified positions Phe20 or Gly33. A small library of Aβ40 peptides with Phe20 mutated to Lys, Tyr or the non-proteinogenic cyclohexylalanine (Cha) or Gly33 mutated to Ala was synthesized. We used electron microscopy, circular dichroism, X-ray diffraction, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, ThT fluorescence and MTT cell toxicity assays to comprehensively investigate the physicochemical properties of the Aβ fibrils formed by the modified peptides as well as toxicity to a neuronal cell line. Single mutations of either Phe20 or Gly33 led to relatively drastic alterations in the Aβ fibrillation kinetics but left the global, as well as the local structure, of the fibrils largely unchanged. Furthermore, the introduced perturbations caused a severe decrease or loss of cell toxicity compared to wildtype Aβ40. We suggest that perturbations at position Phe20 and Gly33 affect the fibrillation pathway of Aβ40 and, thereby, influence the especially toxic oligomeric species manifesting so that the region around the Phe19/Leu34 hydrophobic contact provides a promising site for the design of small molecules interfering with the Aβ fibrillation pathway.
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16
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Das A, Korn A, Carroll A, Carver JA, Maiti S. Application of the Double-Mutant Cycle Strategy to Protein Aggregation Reveals Transient Interactions in Amyloid-β Oligomers. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:12426-12435. [PMID: 34748334 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c05829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Transient oligomeric intermediates in the peptide or protein aggregation pathway are suspected to be the key toxic species in many amyloid diseases, but deciphering their molecular nature has remained a challenge. Here we show that the strategy of "double-mutant cycles", used effectively in probing protein-folding intermediates, can reveal transient interactions during protein aggregation. It does so by comparing the changes in thermodynamic parameters between the wild type, and single and double mutants. We demonstrate the strategy by probing the possible transient salt bridge partner of lysine 28 (K28) in the oligomeric states of amyloid β-40 (Aβ40), the putative toxic species in Alzheimer's disease. In mature fibrils, the binding partner is aspartate 23. This interaction differentiates Aβ40 from the more toxic Aβ42, where K28's binding partner is the C-terminal carboxylate. We selectively acetylated K28 and amidated the C-terminus of Aβ40, creating four distinct variants. Spectroscopic measurements of the kinetics and thermodynamics of aggregation show that K28 and the C-terminus interact transiently in the early phases of the Aβ40 aggregation pathway. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (using a simple analysis method that we introduce here that takes into account the isotopic mass distribution) supports this interpretation. It is also supported by cellular toxicity measurements, suggesting possible similarities in the mechanisms of toxicity of Aβ40 oligomers (which are more toxic than Aβ40 fibrils) and Aβ42. Our results show that double-mutant cycles can be a powerful tool for probing transient interactions during protein aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Das
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400005, India
| | - Alexander Korn
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Härtelstr. 16-18, D-04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Adam Carroll
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - John A Carver
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Sudipta Maiti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400005, India
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17
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Matuszyk MM, Garwood CJ, Ferraiuolo L, Simpson JE, Staniforth RA, Wharton SB. Biological and methodological complexities of beta-amyloid peptide: Implications for Alzheimer's disease research. J Neurochem 2021; 160:434-453. [PMID: 34767256 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Although controversial, the amyloid cascade hypothesis remains central to the Alzheimer's disease (AD) field and posits amyloid-beta (Aβ) as the central factor initiating disease onset. In recent years, there has been an increase in emphasis on studying the role of low molecular weight aggregates, such as oligomers, which are suggested to be more neurotoxic than fibrillary Aβ. Other Aβ isoforms, such as truncated Aβ, have also been implicated in disease. However, developing a clear understanding of AD pathogenesis has been hampered by the complexity of Aβ biochemistry in vitro and in vivo. This review explores factors contributing to the lack of consistency in experimental approaches taken to model Aβ aggregation and toxicity and provides an overview of the different techniques available to analyse Aβ, such as electron and atomic force microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, dye-based assays, size exclusion chromatography, mass spectrometry and SDS-PAGE. The review also explores how different types of Aβ can influence Aβ aggregation and toxicity, leading to variation in experimental outcomes, further highlighting the need for standardisation in Aβ preparations and methods used in current research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna M Matuszyk
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Claire J Garwood
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Julie E Simpson
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Stephen B Wharton
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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18
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Vemulapalli SB, Becker S, Griesinger C, Rezaei-Ghaleh N. Combined High-Pressure and Multiquantum NMR and Molecular Simulation Propose a Role for N-Terminal Salt Bridges in Amyloid-Beta. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:9933-9939. [PMID: 34617758 PMCID: PMC8521524 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Several lines of evidence point to the important role of the N-terminal region of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide in its toxic aggregation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is known that charge-altering modifications such as Ser8 phosphorylation promote Aβ fibrillar aggregation. In this Letter, we combine high-pressure NMR, multiquantum chemical exchange saturation transfer (MQ-CEST) NMR, and microseconds-long molecular dynamics simulation and provide evidence of the presence of several salt bridges between Arg5 and its nearby negatively charged residues, in particular, Asp7 and Glu3. The presence of these salt bridges is correlated with less extended structures in the N-terminal region of Aβ. Through density functional theory calculations, we demonstrate how the introduction of negatively charged phosphoserine 8 influences the network of adjacent salt bridges in Aβ and favors more extended N-terminal structures. Our data propose a structural mechanism for the Ser8-phosphorylation-promoted Aβ aggregation and define the N-terminal salt bridges as potential targets for anti-AD drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahithya
Phani Babu Vemulapalli
- Department
of NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck
Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Institute
for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Stefan Becker
- Department
of NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck
Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Christian Griesinger
- Department
of NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck
Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Nasrollah Rezaei-Ghaleh
- Department
of NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck
Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen 37077, Germany
- Department
of Neurology, University Medical Center
Göttingen, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- Institute
for Physical Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
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19
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Tsegaye S, Dedefo G, Mehdi M. Biophysical applications in structural and molecular biology. Biol Chem 2021; 402:1155-1177. [PMID: 34218543 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2021-0232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The main objective of structural biology is to model proteins and other biological macromolecules and link the structural information to function and dynamics. The biological functions of protein molecules and nucleic acids are inherently dependent on their conformational dynamics. Imaging of individual molecules and their dynamic characteristics is an ample source of knowledge that brings new insights about mechanisms of action. The atomic-resolution structural information on most of the biomolecules has been solved by biophysical techniques; either by X-ray diffraction in single crystals or by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in solution. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is emerging as a new tool for analysis of a larger macromolecule that couldn't be solved by X-ray crystallography or NMR. Now a day's low-resolution Cryo-EM is used in combination with either X-ray crystallography or NMR. The present review intends to provide updated information on applications like X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM and NMR which can be used independently and/or together in solving structures of biological macromolecules for our full comprehension of their biological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solomon Tsegaye
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Arsi University, Oromia, Ethiopia
| | - Gobena Dedefo
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Mohammed Mehdi
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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20
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Li Y, Tang H, Zhu H, Kakinen A, Wang D, Andrikopoulos N, Sun Y, Nandakumar A, Kwak E, Davis TP, Leong DT, Ding F, Ke PC. Ultrasmall Molybdenum Disulfide Quantum Dots Cage Alzheimer's Amyloid Beta to Restore Membrane Fluidity. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:29936-29948. [PMID: 34143617 PMCID: PMC8251662 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c06478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major cause of dementia characterized by the overexpression of transmembrane amyloid precursor protein and its neurotoxic byproduct amyloid beta (Aβ). A small peptide of considerable hydrophobicity, Aβ is aggregation prone catalyzed by the presence of cell membranes, among other environmental factors. Accordingly, current AD mitigation strategies often aim at breaking down the Aβ-membrane communication, yet no data is available concerning the cohesive interplay of the three key entities of the cell membrane, Aβ, and its inhibitor. Using a lipophilic Laurdan dye and confocal fluorescence microscopy, we observed cell membrane perturbation and actin reorganization induced by Aβ oligomers but not by Aβ monomers or amyloid fibrils. We further revealed recovery of membrane fluidity by ultrasmall MoS2 quantum dots, also shown in this study as a potent inhibitor of Aβ amyloid aggregation. Using discrete molecular dynamics simulations, we uncovered the binding of MoS2 and Aβ monomers as mediated by hydrophilic interactions between the quantum dots and the peptide N-terminus. In contrast, Aβ oligomers and fibrils were surface-coated by the ultrasmall quantum dots in distinct testudo-like, reverse protein-corona formations to prevent their further association with the cell membrane and adverse effects downstream. This study offers a crucial new insight and a viable strategy for regulating the amyloid aggregation and membrane-axis of AD pathology with multifunctional nanomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhuan Li
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Huayuan Tang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States
| | - Houjuan Zhu
- National University of Singapore, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore
| | - Aleksandr Kakinen
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Di Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Nicholas Andrikopoulos
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Yunxiang Sun
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Aparna Nandakumar
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Eunbi Kwak
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Thomas P. Davis
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia
| | - David Tai Leong
- National University of Singapore, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore
| | - Feng Ding
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States
| | - Pu Chun Ke
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia
- The GBA National Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, 136 Kaiyuan Avenue, Guangzhou, 510700, China
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21
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Watanabe-Nakayama T, Ono K. Acquisition and processing of high-speed atomic force microscopy videos for single amyloid aggregate observation. Methods 2021; 197:4-12. [PMID: 34107352 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The structural dynamics of the amyloid protein aggregation process are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. High-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) is able to visualize the structural dynamics of individual aggregate species that otherwise cannot be distinguished. HS-AFM observations also detect impurities in the sample, and thus, experiments require relatively high sample purity. To derive valid information regarding the structural dynamics of the sample from the high-speed AFM images, a correction of the influence caused by the drift of the stage (scanner) from all frames is required. However, correcting the HS-AFM videos that consist of a large number of images requires significant effort. Here, using HS-AFM observation of α-synuclein fibril elongation as an example, we propose an HS-AFM image processing procedure to correct stage drift in the x-, y-, and z-directions with the free software ImageJ. ImageJ with default settings and our plugins attached to this article can process and analyze image stacks, which allow users to easily detect and show the temporal change in sample structures. This processing method can be automatically applied to numerous HS-AFM videos by batch processing with a series of ImageJ macrofunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Watanabe-Nakayama
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan.
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Showa University, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8666, Japan.
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22
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Dyson HJ, Wright PE. NMR illuminates intrinsic disorder. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 70:44-52. [PMID: 33951592 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has long been instrumental in the characterization of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). This method continues to offer rich insights into the nature of IDPs in solution, especially in combination with other biophysical methods such as small-angle scattering, single-molecule fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and mass spectrometry. Substantial advances have been made in recent years in studies of proteins containing both ordered and disordered domains and in the characterization of problematic sequences containing repeated tracts of a single or a few amino acids. These sequences are relevant to disease states such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, where disordered proteins misfold into harmful amyloid. Innovative applications of NMR are providing novel insights into mechanisms of protein aggregation and the complexity of IDP interactions with their targets. As a basis for understanding the solution structural ensembles, dynamic behavior, and functional mechanisms of IDPs and IDRs, NMR continues to prove invaluable.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Jane Dyson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 92037, California, USA
| | - Peter E Wright
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 92037, California, USA.
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23
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Nguyen PH, Ramamoorthy A, Sahoo BR, Zheng J, Faller P, Straub JE, Dominguez L, Shea JE, Dokholyan NV, De Simone A, Ma B, Nussinov R, Najafi S, Ngo ST, Loquet A, Chiricotto M, Ganguly P, McCarty J, Li MS, Hall C, Wang Y, Miller Y, Melchionna S, Habenstein B, Timr S, Chen J, Hnath B, Strodel B, Kayed R, Lesné S, Wei G, Sterpone F, Doig AJ, Derreumaux P. Amyloid Oligomers: A Joint Experimental/Computational Perspective on Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Type II Diabetes, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Chem Rev 2021; 121:2545-2647. [PMID: 33543942 PMCID: PMC8836097 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 386] [Impact Index Per Article: 128.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Protein misfolding and aggregation is observed in many amyloidogenic diseases affecting either the central nervous system or a variety of peripheral tissues. Structural and dynamic characterization of all species along the pathways from monomers to fibrils is challenging by experimental and computational means because they involve intrinsically disordered proteins in most diseases. Yet understanding how amyloid species become toxic is the challenge in developing a treatment for these diseases. Here we review what computer, in vitro, in vivo, and pharmacological experiments tell us about the accumulation and deposition of the oligomers of the (Aβ, tau), α-synuclein, IAPP, and superoxide dismutase 1 proteins, which have been the mainstream concept underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), type II diabetes (T2D), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research, respectively, for many years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong H Nguyen
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Bikash R Sahoo
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, United States
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Peter Faller
- Institut de Chimie, UMR 7177, CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - John E Straub
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Laura Dominguez
- Facultad de Química, Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Joan-Emma Shea
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Nikolay V Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
- Department of Chemistry, and Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Alfonso De Simone
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Molecular Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Buyong Ma
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
- Sackler Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Saeed Najafi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Son Tung Ngo
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics & Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Antoine Loquet
- Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects, (UMR5248 CBMN), CNRS, Université Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Mara Chiricotto
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, U.K
| | - Pritam Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - James McCarty
- Chemistry Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225, United States
| | - Mai Suan Li
- Institute for Computational Science and Technology, SBI Building, Quang Trung Software City, Tan Chanh Hiep Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Carol Hall
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905, United States
| | - Yiming Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905, United States
| | - Yifat Miller
- Department of Chemistry and The Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 84105, Israel
| | | | - Birgit Habenstein
- Institute of Chemistry & Biology of Membranes & Nanoobjects, (UMR5248 CBMN), CNRS, Université Bordeaux, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Stepan Timr
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Jiaxing Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Brianna Hnath
- Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute of Complex Systems: Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Sylvain Lesné
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Science, Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Fabio Sterpone
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
| | - Andrew J Doig
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Philippe Derreumaux
- CNRS, UPR9080, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Theoretical Biochemistry, IBPC, Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris 75005, France
- Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University, 33000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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24
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Levengood JD, Peterson J, Tolbert BS, Roche J. Thermodynamic stability of hnRNP A1 low complexity domain revealed by high-pressure NMR. Proteins 2021; 89:781-791. [PMID: 33550645 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We have investigated the pressure- and temperature-induced conformational changes associated with the low complexity domain of hnRNP A1, an RNA-binding protein able to phase separate in response to cellular stress. Solution NMR spectra of the hnRNP A1 low-complexity domain fused with protein-G B1 domain were collected from 1 to 2500 bar and from 268 to 290 K. While the GB1 domain shows the typical pressure-induced and cold temperature-induced unfolding expected for small globular domains, the low-complexity domain of hnRNP A1 exhibits unusual pressure and temperature dependences. We observed that the low-complexity domain is pressure sensitive, undergoing a major conformational transition within the prescribed pressure range. Remarkably, this transition has the inverse temperature dependence of a typical folding-unfolding transition. Our results suggest the presence of a low-lying extended and fully solvated state(s) of the low-complexity domain that may play a role in phase separation. This study highlights the exquisite sensitivity of solution NMR spectroscopy to observe subtle conformational changes and illustrates how pressure perturbation can be used to determine the properties of metastable conformational ensembles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Levengood
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jake Peterson
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Blanton S Tolbert
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Julien Roche
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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25
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Alderson TR, Kay LE. NMR spectroscopy captures the essential role of dynamics in regulating biomolecular function. Cell 2021; 184:577-595. [PMID: 33545034 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecules are in constant motion. To understand how they function, and why malfunctions can cause disease, it is necessary to describe their three-dimensional structures in terms of dynamic conformational ensembles. Here, we demonstrate how nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provides an essential, dynamic view of structural biology that captures biomolecular motions at atomic resolution. We focus on examples that emphasize the diversity of biomolecules and biochemical applications that are amenable to NMR, such as elucidating functional dynamics in large molecular machines, characterizing transient conformations implicated in the onset of disease, and obtaining atomic-level descriptions of intrinsically disordered regions that make weak interactions involved in liquid-liquid phase separation. Finally, we discuss the pivotal role that NMR has played in driving forward our understanding of the biomolecular dynamics-function paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Reid Alderson
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Chemistry, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S A18, Canada.
| | - Lewis E Kay
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Chemistry, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S A18, Canada; Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.
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26
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Cawood EE, Karamanos TK, Wilson AJ, Radford SE. Visualizing and trapping transient oligomers in amyloid assembly pathways. Biophys Chem 2021; 268:106505. [PMID: 33220582 PMCID: PMC8188297 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Oligomers which form during amyloid fibril assembly are considered to be key contributors towards amyloid disease. However, understanding how such intermediates form, their structure, and mechanisms of toxicity presents significant challenges due to their transient and heterogeneous nature. Here, we discuss two different strategies for addressing these challenges: use of (1) methods capable of detecting lowly-populated species within complex mixtures, such as NMR, single particle methods (including fluorescence and force spectroscopy), and mass spectrometry; and (2) chemical and biological tools to bias the amyloid energy landscape towards specific oligomeric states. While the former methods are well suited to following the kinetics of amyloid assembly and obtaining low-resolution structural information, the latter are capable of producing oligomer samples for high-resolution structural studies and inferring structure-toxicity relationships. Together, these different approaches should enable a clearer picture to be gained of the nature and role of oligomeric intermediates in amyloid formation and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Cawood
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Theodoros K Karamanos
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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27
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Kakeshpour T, Ramanujam V, Barnes CA, Shen Y, Ying J, Bax A. A lowly populated, transient β-sheet structure in monomeric Aβ 1-42 identified by multinuclear NMR of chemical denaturation. Biophys Chem 2020; 270:106531. [PMID: 33453683 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Chemical denaturation is a well-established approach for probing the equilibrium between folded and unfolded states of proteins. We demonstrate applicability of this method to the detection of a small population of a transiently folded structural element in a system that is often considered to be intrinsically fully disordered. The 1HN, 15N, 13Cα, and 13C' chemical shifts of Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 peptides and their M35-oxidized variants were monitored as a function of urea concentration and compared to analogous urea titrations of synthetic pentapeptides of homologous sequence. Fitting of the chemical shift titrations yields a 10 ± 1% population for a structured element at the C-terminus of Aβ1-42 that folds with a cooperativity of m = 0.06 kcal/mol·M. The fit also yields the chemical shifts of the folded state and, using a database search, for Aβ1-42 these shifts identified an antiparallel intramolecular β-sheet for residues I32-A42, linked by a type I' β-turn at G37 and G38. The structure is destabilized by oxidation of M35. Paramagnetic relaxation rates and two previously reported weak, medium-range NOE interactions are consistent with this transient β-sheet. Introduction of the requisite A42C mutation and tagging with MTSL resulted in a small stabilization of this β-sheet. Chemical shift analysis suggests a C-terminal β-sheet may be present in Aβ1-40 too, but the turn type at G37 is not type I'. The approach to derive Transient Structure from chemical Denaturation by NMR (TSD-NMR), demonstrated here for Aβ peptides, provides a sensitive tool for identifying the presence of lowly populated, transiently ordered elements in proteins that are considered to be intrinsically disordered, and permits extraction of structural data for such elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayeb Kakeshpour
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Venkat Ramanujam
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - C Ashley Barnes
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yang Shen
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jinfa Ying
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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28
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Ostermeier L, de Oliveira GAP, Dzwolak W, Silva JL, Winter R. Exploring the polymorphism, conformational dynamics and function of amyloidogenic peptides and proteins by temperature and pressure modulation. Biophys Chem 2020; 268:106506. [PMID: 33221697 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of amyloid structures and the mechanisms by which disease-associated peptides and proteins self-assemble into these fibrillar aggregates, has advanced considerably in recent years. It is also established that amyloid fibrils are generally polymorphic. The molecular structures of the aggregation intermediates and the causes of molecular and structural polymorphism are less understood, however. Such information is mandatory to explain the pathological diversity of amyloid diseases. What is also clear is that not only protein mutations, but also the physiological milieu, i.e. pH, cosolutes, crowding and surface interactions, have an impact on fibril formation. In this minireview, we focus on the effect of the less explored physical parameters temperature and pressure on the fibrillization propensity of proteins and how these variables can be used to reveal additional mechanistic information about intermediate states of fibril formation and molecular and structural polymorphism. Generally, amyloids are very stable and can resist harsh environmental conditions, such as extreme pH, high temperature and high pressure, and can hence serve as valuable functional amyloid. As an example, we discuss the effect of temperature and pressure on the catalytic activity of peptide amyloid fibrils that exhibit enzymatic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Ostermeier
- Physical Chemistry I - Biophysical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn Street 4a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Guilherme A P de Oliveira
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, National Center of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Jiri Jonas, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-901, Brazil
| | - Wojciech Dzwolak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Pasteur 1 Str., 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Jerson L Silva
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, National Center of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Jiri Jonas, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-901, Brazil.
| | - Roland Winter
- Physical Chemistry I - Biophysical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn Street 4a, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
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29
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Nakajima K, Yamazaki T, Kimura Y, So M, Goto Y, Ogi H. Time-Resolved Observation of Evolution of Amyloid-β Oligomer with Temporary Salt Crystals. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:6176-6184. [PMID: 32687370 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The aggregation behavior of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides remains unclarified despite the fact that it is closely related to the pathogenic mechanism of Alzheimer's disease. Aβ peptides form diverse oligomers with various diameters before nucleation, making clarification of the mechanism involved a complex problem with conventional macroscopic analysis methods. Time-resolved single-molecule level analysis in bulk solution is thus required to fully understand their early stage aggregation behavior. Here, we perform time-resolved observation of the aggregation dynamics of Aβ oligomers in bulk solution using liquid-state transmission electron microscopy. Our observations reveal previously unknown behaviors. The most important discovery is that a salt crystal can precipitate even with a concentration much lower than its solubility, and it then dissolves in a short time, during which the aggregation reaction of Aβ peptides is significantly accelerated. These findings will provide new insights in the evolution of the Aβ oligomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kichitaro Nakajima
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoya Yamazaki
- Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Yuki Kimura
- Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Masatomo So
- Institute of Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuji Goto
- Institute of Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hirotsugu Ogi
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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30
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Dregni AJ, Duan P, Hong M. Hydration and Dynamics of Full-Length Tau Amyloid Fibrils Investigated by Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Biochemistry 2020; 59:2237-2248. [PMID: 32453948 PMCID: PMC7720860 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein tau aggregates into distinct neurofibrillary tangles in brains afflicted with multiple neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). The mechanism of tau misfolding and aggregation is poorly understood. Determining the structure, dynamics, and water accessibility of tau filaments may provide insight into the pathway of tau misfolding. Here, we investigate the hydration and dynamics of the β-sheet core of heparin-fibrillized 0N4R tau using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This β-sheet core consists of the second and third microtubule-binding repeats, R2 and R3, respectively, which form a hairpin. Water-edited two-dimensional (2D) 13C-13C and 15N-13C correlation spectra show that most residues in R2 and R3 domains have low water accessibility, indicating that this hairpin is surrounded by other proteinaceous segments. However, a small number of residues, especially S285 and S316, are well hydrated compared to other Ser and Thr residues, suggesting that there is a small water channel in the middle of the hairpin. To probe whether water accessibility correlates with protein dynamics, we measured the backbone N-H dipolar couplings of the β-sheet core. Interestingly, residues in the fourth microtubule-binding repeat, R4, show rigid-limit N-H dipolar couplings, even though this domain exhibits weaker intensities in the 2D 15N-13C correlation spectra. These results suggest that the R4 domain participates in cross-β hydrogen bonding in some of the subunits but exhibits dynamic disorder in other subunits. Taken together, these hydration and dynamics data indicate that the R2-R3 hairpin of 0N4R tau is shielded from water by other proteinaceous segments on the exterior but contains a small water pore in the interior. This structural topology has various similarities with the CBD tau fibril structure but also shows specific differences. The disorder of the R4 domain and the presence of a small water channel in the heparin-fibrillized 4R tau have implications for the structure of tau fibrils in diseased brains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 170 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
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31
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Watanabe-Nakayama T, Sahoo BR, Ramamoorthy A, Ono K. High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Reveals the Structural Dynamics of the Amyloid-β and Amylin Aggregation Pathways. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4287. [PMID: 32560229 PMCID: PMC7352471 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have been shown to have structurally distinct amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates, including fibrils, in their brain. These findings suggest the possibility of a relationship between AD progression and Aβ fibril structures. Thus, the characterization of the structural dynamics of Aβ could aid the development of novel therapeutic strategies and diagnosis. Protein structure and dynamics have typically been studied separately. Most of the commonly used biophysical approaches are limited in providing substantial details regarding the combination of both structure and dynamics. On the other hand, high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), which simultaneously visualizes an individual protein structure and its dynamics in liquid in real time, can uniquely link the structure and the kinetic details, and it can also unveil novel insights. Although amyloidogenic proteins generate heterogeneously aggregated species, including transient unstable states during the aggregation process, HS-AFM elucidated the structural dynamics of individual aggregates in real time in liquid without purification and isolation. Here, we review and discuss the HS-AFM imaging of amyloid aggregation and strategies to optimize the experiments showing findings from Aβ and amylin, which is associated with type II diabetes, shares some common biological features with Aβ, and is reported to be involved in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bikash R. Sahoo
- Biophysics Program, Department of Chemistry, Macromolecular Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA;
| | - Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy
- Biophysics and Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA;
| | - Kenjiro Ono
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Showa University, Hatanodai, Shinagawa district, Tokyo 142-8666, Japan;
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32
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Liu K, Yan S, Ma Z, Liu B. Effective pressure and treatment duration of high hydrostatic pressure to prepare melanoma vaccines. Oncol Lett 2020; 20:1135-1142. [PMID: 32724353 PMCID: PMC7377178 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.11657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Current therapeutic methods for melanoma have numerous limitations, and thus the improvement of such treatment methods are essential. One possible option is the vaccination of autologous inactivated tumor cells. The primary indispensable principles of a cell-based melanoma vaccine include: i) Entire inactivation of melanoma cells; ii) retaining the immunogenicity of melanoma cells; and iii) adherence to laws and ethical guidelines. However, traditional methods for the production of the vaccine, such as ultrasonic, chemotherapeutics and freeze-thawing, have some juridical or therapeutic constraints. Therefore, the present study used high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) to inactivate malignant cells, and treated B16-F10 tumor cells with different pressures (≥50 MPa) and different durations (≥1 min). It was identified that tumor cells in vitro lost their proliferative ability, but retained their immunogenicity following treatment. Furthermore, the vaccination of the melanoma cells significantly suppressed their oncogenesis. Collectively, the present results suggest that HHP treatment may be an economically viable and effective measure to develop a melanoma vaccine, when pressure was ≥200 MPa and the treatment duration was ≥30 min.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Liu
- Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Shuai Yan
- Department of Operating Room, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Zhanchuan Ma
- Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
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